Metabolic profiles reveal the preferable consumption time of Cordyceps militaris dried products with the optimal health effects and flavors

• Metabolite analysis showed the total purines decreased during storage • Pleasant odor substances such as alcohol increased after one month of storage • Microbial population abundance declined after two months • The flavor and nutrition of dried Cordyceps militaris showed the best in two months Cordyceps militaris (CM) is widely distributed in humid temperate and tropical forests. Commercially available CM are mainly dried fruiting bodies and their further processed products. In the Chinese market, these products are mainly stored at room temperature without vacuum seal after air drying. In this study, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and microbial community abundance were applied to analyze the changes of major metabolites in CM dried products and explored the changes in quality during storage at room temperature. A total of 856 non-volatile and 431 volatile substances were detected, of which, 195 non-volatile and 85 volatile substances showed significant differences. By analyzing the microbial population abundance, the highest population abundance was observed in the second month, which was then followed by a decline. These results demonstrated that the quality, odor and nutrient content of CM changed considerably after storage from one to two months. These findings can provide new insights for exploring the optimal consumption time for the best flavor and health function of CM dried products in the future.